Container holder



Feb. 11, 1969 H. H. HANSCHAR 3,427,064

CONTAINER HOLDER Filed July 10, 1967 HQTT'Y H. Hanschcu' INVENTOR /44 64 W I HHgs.

United States Patent 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLUSURE A holder forremovably receiving and holding a carton-type container of rectangularcross section. In operative position the holder includes a rectangulargirth member encompassing the container adjacent its base, a strapsecured to the girth member extending under and supporting thecontainers base, a yoke above the girth member with a back and opposedlegs straddling the container, a handle joined to the yoke and girthmember, and flat lateral support elements extending along opposite sidesof the container secured to the yoke and girth member occupying planessubstantially paralleling planes of opposed sides in the container.

The present invention relates to a container holder, and moreparticularly to a holder which may removably receive a carton-typecontainer, such as a milk carton.

Containers of the type mentioned normally are not provided with handles.As a result, they are often di'lficult to hold properly when tilted topour out their contents. Detachable container holders have been proposedin the past for such cartons, out these have not been entirelysatisfactory. Many are hard to mount a container in, and are thusinconvenient to use. Others are relatively flimsy in construction, anddo not provide adequate support for a container when the same is tilted.

A general object of the present invention is to provide a novel holderfor carton-type containers, which takes care of the above-indicateddifficulties in a practical and satisfactory manner.

More particularly, an object of the invention is to provide such aholder in which a container is easily mounted, and which providesadequate support for the container with such mounted in place,especially when the container is tilted to pour out its contents.

The holder contemplated features a girth member of rectangular outlinehaving two sets of opposed, planar, parallel sides for slidablyreceiving and encompassing a container adjacent its base, and means isjoined to the girth member for supporting the base of a container. Ayoke spaced above and fixed in position relative to the girth member hasopposed legs that straddle a rear portion of a container. Spaced lateralsupport elements on opposite sides of the holder, secured both to theyoke and to one set of sides of the girth member function to stabilizethe yoke. The lateral support elements are planar, and occupy planessubstantially paralleling the planes of the sides of the girth member(and the con tainer mounted in the holder). In this way deflection ofthe lateral support elements in planes paralleling the sides of thecontainer is inhibited. The holder further includes a handle joined toand extending between the yoke and girth member.

With such a construction, featuring a yoke encompassing only a part ofthe upper portion of a container, a container is easily slipped intoposition in the holder with its base received within the girth member.Because of the planar construction of the lateral support elements, andtheir orientation in the holder, these elements contribute significantlyto the holders rigidity. As a result,

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the holder provides good support for a container when such is tilted.

A further object of the invention is to provide a holder of the type sofar described which has a relatively simple and inexpensiveconstruction.

These and other objects and advantages attained by the invention willbecome more fully apparent as the description which follows is read inconjunction with the accompanying drawing, which illustrates in solidoutline a holder constructed according to the invention, and in phantomoutline a container held by the holder.

Turning to the drawing, illustrated generally at 10 is a holder ascontemplated herein removably mounted in operative position about acarton-type container '12. Container .12 takes the form of the usualcardboard milk carton which has a rectangular cross-sectional outline.The top of the carton is opened up by breaking the joint at the top andfolding out the top over the front of the container, which faces to theleft in the figure. As is conventional, the carton includes a backdisposed opposite its front, opposed sides adjoining the front and back,and a base.

Generally describing the holder, it includes a bottom band or girthmember 14, a base-supporting strap 16, a web 18, a yoke 20, and a handle22. In the preferred embodiment illustrated, these parts of the holdermay be of relatively thin sheet steel and attached together as by spotwelding where the cross marks are shown. Alternatively, other materials,both metal and plastic, may be used.

Girth member 14 defines a seat for slidably receiving the base of thecontainer and may have a rectangular outline when viewed in planmatching the rectangular crosssectional outline of the carton, wherebyit completely encompasses the carton adjacent its base. The girth memberor bottom band (which may be an integral strip of material) comprises anelongated portion 1412 at the front of the container which extendssubstantially horizontally across the front of the container, anotherelongated portion 1412 at the back of the container, and a pair ofelongated portions 14a extending across the sides of the container whichadjoin the front and back of the container. The faces of these variousportions occupy vertical planes.

Strap 16, also referred to herein as means supporting the base of acontainer, has a somewhat J-shaped outline when viewed in side elevationfrom a side of the holder. It includes a base part 16a extending alongand under the base of carton 12, a front end part 16b extending upwardlyfrom part 16a along the front of the carton suitably secured to member14, and a rear end part 16c extending upwardly from 16a along the backof the container and also suitably secured to member 14. Parts 16b, 16care also referred to herein as first and second end parts, respectively.As can be seen, part 16c is substantially longer than part 16b.

Web 18 has an approximately U-shaped outline, when viewed in frontelevation from the front of the holder. The web includes a middleportion 18a extending along and under the base of carton 12, and a pairof spaced end expanses 1812 which extend upwardly from portion 18a alongopposite sides of the carton. Expanses 18b constitute lateral supportelements herein, and have substantially the same length aspreviously-described end part 160 of the strap. The expanses aresuitably secured to portions of the girth member. Middle portion 18a ofthe web is disposed at a right angle to base part 16a of the strap.Expanses or lateral support elements 1812 are fiat, and their facesoccupy vertical planes paralleling the planes of the faces of portions140 in the girth member.

Yoke 20 has an approximately U-shaped outline when viewed in plan fromthe top of the holder, and partially encompasses an upper portion of thecarton. It includes a back or bight 20a extending along the back of thecarton, and a pair of legs 2% which are normal to back 28a and extendforwardly of the back in a position straddling the carton. Portion 20ais suitably secured to part 160 (adjacent the latters upper end), andlegs 20b are suitably secured to the upper extremities of expanses 18bof the web. The legs are flat and have faces in vertical planesparalleling the vertical planes of the faces of elements 18b.

Handle 22 is located adjacent the back of the container and includes anupper end 22a suitably fastened to portion 20a of the yoke, and a lowerend 221) suitably anchored to the back side of member v14, and throughmember 14 to strap 16 which provides support for the base of the carton.

Because of the positioning of girth member 14 adjacent the base of theholder, and the construction of yoke 20, a container is easily slippedinto place in the holder by first placing the base of the carton withingirth member 14 and then swinging the upper part of the carton betweenthe legs of the yoke 21' Expanses 18b of the web, by reason of theirfaces occupying planes substantially paralleling the planes of the facesof portions 14a of the girth member (and the planes of the sides of thecarton), impart rigidity to the holder, whereby the holder provides goodsupport for a container when the same is tilted to pour out itscontents. Bending of legs 20b in the yoke, in planes paralleling thesides of the carton, is also inhibited, producing further rigidity inthe holder.

The holder illustrated has a relatively simple and inexpensiveconstruction.

While an embodiment of the invention has been described herein, it isappreciated that variations and modifications may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention. Accordingly, it is desiredto cover all such variations and modifications which would be apparentto those skilled in the art and that come within the scope of theappended claims.

It is claimed and desired to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A holder for an elongated carton-type container of rectangular crosssection where such container has a front from which pouring isperformed, a back, opposed parallel sides extending between andadjoining the front and back, and a base, said holder comprising abottom band defining a seat for slidably receiving the base of thecontainer including elongated portions adapted to extend substantiallyhorizontally across the front of the container and thence acrossadjoining sides of the container,

' means joined to said bottom strap adapted to extend under and forsupporting the base of the container,

a pair of opposed elongated lateral support elements fixedly joined tosaid portions of said bottom band that extend across the sides of thecontainer and extending upwardly from their point of joinder with saidportions of said bottom band, said opposed lateral support elementsbeing adapted to extend along the opposed sides of a container,

an elongated yoke elevated from said bottom band including opposed armshaving a set of unjoined ends and an opposite set of ends joined by abight, each of said unjoined set of ends of said arms being joined toone of said lateral support elements and said yoke having a positionwhere it is adapted to encompass the back of the container with its legsstraddling the opposed sides of the container, and

an elongated handle joined adjacent its top to the bight of said yokeand operatively connected adjacent its base to the means extending underand for support ing the base of the container.

2. The holder of claim 1, wherein said bottom band has a rectangularoutline when viewed in plan whereby it may fully encompass the containeradjacent its base, and said lateral support elements are flat, and havefaces occupying vertical planes adapted to parallel the planes of theopposed sides of a container.

3. The holder of claim 2, wherein the legs of said yoke are fiat andhave faces disposed in vertical planes paralleling the vertical planesof said support elements.

4. The holder of claim 3, wherein the means for supporting the base ofthe container comprises an elongated strap having a base part adapted toextend under the base of a container, a first end part extendingupwardly from said base part and adapted to extend along the front of acontainer which is secured to said bottom band, and a second end partextending upwardly from said base part and adapted to extend along therear side of a container which is secured both to said bottom band andto the bight of said yoke.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 378,361 2/1888 Fox.

1,782,962 all/1930 Hobbs.

3,151,792 10/1964 Garland 224- EVON C. BLUNK, Primary Examiner.

HARVEY C. HORNSBY, Assistant Examiner.

U.S. Cl. X.R. 22445

